What if I told you one of the five most important players on the Atlanta Braves is hitting .230 and has only driven in one run during the month of June? What’s worse is that his on-base percentage is .576, and he hasn’t hit a home run this season.
Braves shortstop Nick Allen has been as responsible for the recent good fortune, which has resulted in three straight series wins and has won seven of their last nine games, as anyone in the lineup not named Ronald Acuna, Jr. or Chris Sale.
Here’s why: defense.
Allen has one of the best gloves in Major League Baseball. There have been several occasions this season that Allen’s defense helped keep a single in the infield or stuffed out a would-be RBI with a diving catch or scoop and throw to first base.
Allen is only behind Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr., and Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong among fielders’ Outs Above Average (OAA) numbers, according to Statcast data. The eight runs Allen has prevented is tied for second among shortstops with St. Louis Cardinal Masyn Winn and in the top 11 in baseball.
The Braves are in South Florida for a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, beginning tonight. Allen, who bats in the ninth spot, was 2-4 with a double and a run scored in a 5-1 victory over the New York Mets at Truist Park on Thursday. The two-hit game was just the eighth time this season that he had more than one base hit in a game.
The glove is what separates Allen from the other nine-spot hitters playing big roles on their respective teams. Among full-time shortstops, Allen’s fielding success rate of 79% is one of the best. Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros (82%) and Witt, Jr. (81%) are at the top of the list, with Jose Caballero of Tampa Bay (79%), Xander Bogaerts (78%), and Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (74%) not too far behind.
Last year, Allen played all over the infield for the Oakland A’s. This year, he is firmly entrenched at the shortstop position for the Braves. If this team is going to be playing baseball in September, Allen will need to remain in the everyday lineup.
